STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1066

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1008

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1008, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS OF STATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to determine the effect of any proposed state affordable housing project on historic property, aviation artifacts, or burial sites within ninety days of a request for determination; and

(2) Base the historic review requirements on the project area's known or likely density of historic, cultural, and archaeological resources or previous identification of no significant historic properties through an archaeological inventory survey.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; Hawaiʻi Association of REALTORS; and Maui Chamber of Commerce. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that historic reviews are required for any building, structure, object, district, area, or site that is 50 years or older, regardless of historical significance. Consequently, it is common for historic reviews to require over a year to complete. The lengthy and backlogged historic preservation reviews prevent the timely development of affordable housing, increase costs, and add uncertainty to projects. This measure streamlines the historic preservation review process to help support the State's efforts to provide affordable housing.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1008, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair